SELECTED WORKS OF COMPOSERS ASSOCIATED WITH HOWARD UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Throughout its over 100 year history, Howard University has produced and attracted many talented composers of many musical genres. Limiting this project to any one genre or focus would have lessened the overall impact of the music they created and the inspiration that has been a lauded part of the institution. The project will demonstrate the various harmonic, melodic, rhythmic and emotional contributions of the selected composers through interpretation of their music on the trumpet.

Composers have been connected to the university in three general ways: as students, alumni and faculty; as commissioned artists; and through the performance of their works by notable performers associated with Howard. The pieces selected for this project exemplify a wide range of musical expressions and compositional techniques, and hopefully have been presented in a way that allows the emotional impact of each piece to resonate in a unique fashion.

The selected works tended to fall into the categories of

A. Trumpet and Brass Works

B. Spirituals/ Meditational/ Religious Works

C. Popular and Jazz Pieces

D. Organ or other Instrumental Works

E. Works of Historical Reference or Significance

In some cases, certain pieces may be categorized across multiple categories (e.g. an organ piece based on religious material).

As this was also a recording project, great care was taken during the recording process to capture as much emotional content as possible through stereo microphone techniques and the use of high quality equipment.

The group of works examined and set for the CD is but one example of Howard University’s musical legacy. Additional collections of selected works of composers associated with Howard University could, and should, be created by others to further reinterpret more of this underperformed, yet highly valuable music.